Page 999 - bleak-house

his corner, hard, indifferent, taking everything so evenly—
it made flesh and blood tingle, I do assure you.’
‘My advice to you,’ returns Mrs. Bagnet, ‘is to light your
pipe and tingle that way. It’s wholesomer and comfortabler,
and better for the health altogether.’
‘You’re right,’ says the trooper, ‘and I’ll do it.’
So he does it, though still with an indignant gravity that
impresses the young Bagnets, and even causes Mr. Bagnet
to defer the ceremony of drinking Mrs. Bagnet’s health,
always given by himself on these occasions in a speech of
exemplary terseness. But the young ladies having composed
what Mr. Bagnet is in the habit of calling ‘the mixtur,’ and
George’s pipe being now in a glow, Mr. Bagnet considers it
his duty to proceed to the toast of the evening. He addresses
the assembled company in the following terms.
‘George. Woolwich. Quebec. Malta. This is her birthday.
Take a day’s march. And you won’t find such another. Here’s
towards her!’
The toast having been drunk with enthusiasm, Mrs.
Bagnet returns thanks in a neat address of correspond-
ing brevity. This model composition is limited to the three
words ‘And wishing yours!’ which the old girl follows up
with a nod at everybody in succession and a well-regulated
swig of the mixture. This she again follows up, on the pres-
ent occasion, by the wholly unexpected exclamation, ‘Here’s
a man!’
Here IS a man, much to the astonishment of the little
company, looking in at the parlour-door. He is a sharp-eyed
man—a quick keen man—and he takes in everybody’s look

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